Fruit-jar and bottle cleaner.



w. L. HUNTER.

FRUIT JAR AND BOTTLE CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2. 1917.

Patented Mar. 4

\NVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER L. HUNTER, 0F ROANOKE, TEXAS.

FRUIT-JAR AND BOTTLE CLEANER.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, WALTER L. HUNTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Roanoke, in the county of Denton and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Jar and BottleCleaners, of which the following is a speclfication.

My invention relates to devlces used to clean the interior ofreceptacles havlng small mouths and impossible to thoroughly clean byinsertion of the hand into the receptacle, and are particularly of thetype provided with a pair of handles to open and close the jaws of thecleaner.

An important object of my invention 1s to provide a device of thecharacter above mentioned, including means carried by the jaws forsecuring a cleaning element thereto.

Another object of my invention is to firm vide a device of the abovementioned 0 aracter having its jaws so formed that the cleaning elementsecured thereto will be forced into close engagement with the interiorwalls of the receptacle when the handles of the cleaner are broughttoward each other.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the abovementioned character, including novel jaw construction whereby all thecrevices may be thoroughly cleaned.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the abovementioned char-' acter which is strong, durable, inexpensive tomanufacture and efiicient in practice.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of the description andwherem like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame,

Figure 1 is a view of the device inserted in a receptacle, and

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration isshown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 1 designates apair of handles pivoted together, each of which carries a perforation attheir lowermost point. Pivoted to these handles by means of rivets 2 orthe like, are a pair of jaws 8, whichare further connected together by afulcrum link 4. This fulcrum link consists of a strip of metalSpecification of Letterslatent.

having its ends formed into loops to receive rivets passing throughperforations in the jaws. These jaws diverge from this point asubstantial distance, then diverge at a Patented Mar. 4, 1919.Application filed'October 2, 1917. Serial No.-194,379.

smaller angle to form the portions 5, which are adapted to come intoclose proximity with the interior walls of a receptacle.

Ordinarily a cleaning element is secured to the jaws by means of cord oran elastic band, but I provide a novel means for this pur ose, whichconsists of reducing the lower en s of the jaws and bending theminwardly and upwardly to form hooks 6. On these jaws at a point adjacentthe fulcrum link, I also provide hooks 7 which are preferably formedintegral with the jaws and extend inwardly and downwardly. Cleaningelements 8 preferably rags, are adapted to have one end received on thehook 7 then wound spirally down and around the jaws 3, around the hook6, then the hook 6 passed through the opposite end of the rag. Thenumeral 9 indicates an ordinary fruit jar.

To use the-invention, the rag is attached as above stated and thehandles are separated, which causes the lower ends thereof to becomefarther apart. The jaws 3 being pivoted to the handles and connected bythe member 4, are brought together-thereby allowing the cleaner to beinserted into a receptacle. The handles are then closed, which actionforces the jaws apart and engages the cleaning element with the interiorwalls of the receptacle. The cleaner may be turned around in thereceptacle or the receptacle may be given a movement to clean the same.It will also be noted that the top crevice below theneck of thereceptacle may be cleaned by spreading the jaws apart and inserting onehooked end of the jaw and rubbing the same through the crevice.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and thatvarious changes in the shape,

'me'mber pivotally connecting the two jaws together, and a cleaningelement adapted to be detachably secured to each of said jaws.

2. A receptacle cleaner comprising a pair of crossed handles pivotallyconnected together and having theirends. extending beyond the pivot, apair of jaws pivotally secured to said extended ends, a rivet-carried byeach of said jaws adjacent their connectionwith said handle, as fulcrummember having an eye formed upon each endthereof for pivotal engagementwith saidrivets and for connecting the two jaws together, hooks 10 onsaid jaws and a cleaning element adapted to be detachably connected tosaid hooks.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of-two-witnesses.

WALTER L. HUNTER. Witnesses C. B. S 0NE, GEO. W'. K'IKER.

Copies of thls patent may be obtainedfor five cents each, by addressingthe;Commissioner 0t Batenta- Washington, D.-G." I

